Means for snubbing springs



May l5, 1945. s. B. HASELTINE MEANS FOR SNUBBING SPRINGS Filed May 3,1943 aienied ay i5, 194.5

MEANS FOR SNUBBING SPRINGS Stacy B. Haseltine, La Grange, lll., assignorto W. oi Delaware H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporationApplication May 3, 1943, Serial No. 485,427

2 Claims.

This invention relates tc improvements in means for snubbing the actionof railway car truck springs.

One object of the invention is to provide in a railway car truck simpleand elcient means for snubbing or dampening the action of the usualtruck springs ci railway cars, thereby reducing the oscillations andvibrations of the springs to such an extent that the car and its ladingwill not be damaged.

Another object of the invention is to provide friction means of thecharacter indicated in the preceding paragraph, auxiliary to the usualtruck springs for dampening the recoil action of the springs to minimizethe vibrations imparted to the car body.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- I vide a snubbing meanscomprising relatively movable cooperating friction elements at oppositesides ci the usual spring cluster of the truck of a railway car, wherebythe usual spring cluster without modification or substitution of otherparts for any of the coils of the cluster may be employed on the truck.

A more speciic object of the invention is to provide means as specied inthe preceding paragraph, Wherein the friction elements include a springplank member having upturned side anges, and a resilient plate formingthe upper spring follower of the spring cluster, having dependingsections in sliding frictional engagement with the upstanding anges ofthe spring plank member.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear `from thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a topplan view of a portion of a railway cartruck illustrating myimprovements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a side elevationalview of the portion of the truck shown in Figure 1, looking in upwardlydirection in said -figure. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view,

corresponding substantially to the line 3 3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is ahorizontal sectionalview on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 of the right handportion of the truck structure shown-in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a top planview of the upper follower for the spring cluster of the truck. Figure 6is an edge elevational view of. Figure 5, looking upwardly in said lastnamed ligure.

In said drawing, I0 indicates one of the side frame members of a railwaycar truck. The side trame I0, as shown, is in the form of a casting andhas top and bottom members I I and I2 connected by spaced verticalsections I3-I3 form-v ing guides ior'the truck bolster. As will beunderstood by those skilled in this art, the truck includes two sideframe members Ill-I0, and a truck bolster I4, a spring plank I5, andtruck springs I S-IB. The opposite ends oi the spring plank aresupported on the bottom members I2-I2 of the side frames III-Ill, andthe opposite ends of the bolster I4 are guided between the sectionsI3-I3 and I--I3 of the truck side frames. As most clearly shown inFigure 2, the sections I3--I3 are inwardly oset at their upper endportions to provide guides II-I'I which cooperate with guide seats I8--I8 at the sides of the bolster i4. 'I'he guides I'I-Il are providedwith the usual wear plates I9I9.

My improvements comprise broadly a friction element A in the form of aspring follower plate interposed between the bolster and the trucksprings of the car, and a friction element B in the form of a springplank, hereinbefore described and indicated by the character I5, theplate A having depending sections at opposite sides of the truck springsin sliding frictional engagement with the usual upstanding anges of thespring plank.

'I'he friction element A is in the form of a relatively wide plateformed of spring steel and having depending sections 2li-20 at oppositeends, said dependingsections being formed by bending the end portions oithe plate at right angles to the main body thereof. The lower ends oithe sections 20-20 are bent slightly inwardly, as shown, providinginclined sections 2I-2I. The horizontal main body portion of the plate Ais provided with four downwardly projecting hollow bosses 22-22 adaptedto engage within the coils ofthe spring cluster to center the individualsprings thereof. l

The friction member B is in the form of the usual spring plank havingupstanding side flanges 23-23. I'he flanges 23-23 are relatively thickand have their inside surfaces inclined downwardly toward each other.

As shown most clearly in Figures 1 and 2 each spring cluster of thetruck is composed of four springs. These spring clusters Support thebolster I4 in the usual manner. lThe spring plank or friction member Brests on the bottom members I2'-I2 of the truck side frames Ill-III andsupports the spring clusters, a spring follower plate 24 beingpreferably interposed between the bottom end of each cluster and thespring plank. The spring follower 24 is provided with the usual 5upstanding centering bosses 25-25 engaging within the ends of the coilsof the springs. 'Ihe friction element A, which forms the upper spring nfollower for each cluster of truck spring is interposed between thebolster Il and the springs] and has the inwardly bent ends Ii-li of thedepending sections thereof in sliding frictional contact with theinclined inner surfaces of the flanges 28-28 of the spring plank II.

In the operation of my improved spring dampening means, vibrations ofthe truck springs will be dampened by sliding rubbing action of thesections 2I-2l of the friction member A on the inner surfaces of theflanges Is-II of the spring plank as springs II-ll are compressed andexpand during operation of the car, the friction elements A and B beingmoved relatively toward and away from each other corresponding to therelative movements of the bolster and .truck side frames.

Inasmuch as the plate A is made of spring steel, its resiliency willhold the lnanges 20-20 thereof in tight frictional engagement with theflanges of the spring plank, thereby producing sufficient frictionalresistance to produce the desired dampeningy action. This frictionalresistance increases slightly as the truck springs are compressed, dueto the downward convergence of the friction surfaces of the flanges ofthe spring plank.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrativeand I contemplate all changes and modincations that come within thescope of the claims appended hereto.

and the truck bolster of the car, each of said' spring follower elementscomprising a plate of spring metal having depending flanges in slidinglfrlctional engagement with the friction surfaces of said channel shapedspring plank member.

2. In a truck spring snubber for railway cars having a truckprovidedwith a spring support and a relatively movable truck bolster,the combination with a spring plank carried on said spring supportfsaidspring plank extending from side to side of said truck, saidspring'plank having rigid, upstanding side flanges having frictionsurfaces on the inner sides thereof; of a cluster of truck springssupported on said spring plank at each side of the truck; and a springfollower element at each side of the truck interposed between saidsprings and the truck bolster of the car, each spring follower elementcomprising a resilient plate having depending arms in sliding frictionalengagement with the friction surfaces of said spring plank.

` BTACY B. HASm'lINE.

